Almost there. No class left, and a quick five finals to go after that. Then May 11th, it’s back to Eugene. I’m gonna do a little work for Kaplan (turns out it’s actually 12 bucks an hour, not too bad) and hopefully a little over at Blockbuster too. If I can net 2000 bucks for the summer, that’d be sweet. I think me and Josh, at least, are gonna try to get down to San Jose for Classic Gaming Expo in late August, so that might set me back a bit. I also need to buy a cheap laptop of some kind before I go to China in January - it’d be cool to get a Tablet PC (like this one) but I think I’m just going to buy like a $500 used laptop to save money.Remember Timmy Euhus? The guy was my adviser when I was a freshmen in high school, and last week, he was drafted in the 4th round of the NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. Not too bad, huh? The dude is pretty big - something like 6′6″, 250.
The Playstation2 is officially better than sex. If the console doesn’t do it for you, how about live-action PacMan? It’s Pac-Manhattan.
On the front lawn outside my house is a giant rat with its head missing. I guess the rat was on the windowsill of a girl on the 4th floor’s room, when all of a sudden a giant bird flew down and bit the rat’s head off. So gross. I shudder when I pass it. Shit, I’m gettin’ the chills just typing about it. Sick.
On to politics: I’m going to do my “Bush Report Card” below, so for now let’s just focus on non-Bush related stuff. First, a few Congressmen have come out in support of a draft (to “share the burden” or whatever). It won’t happen, but just in case you’re not sure why the draft is a both 1) a terrible idea and 2) an illegitimate use of government power against the sovereignty of the individual, the Bit Bucket briefly goes through all the reasons.
Second, income discrimination is the new racial discrimination at colleges. 90 percent of kids at Harvard have families making more than the median household. Now part of this is no reason for concern - most college kids have parents in the 50s, and we expect that a household made up of a mom and dad in their 50s will make more than a household made up of a mom and dad in their 30s, and further rich parents often impart more interest in education in their kids than do poor parents - but these reasons alone, I don’t think, can fully explain the discrepancy. I think it’s obvious that college claims of “covering full need” are bogus. I know quite a few people who didn’t go to the college because of financial reasons, or else went to a lesser college that gives merit aid rather than to a better-ranked college that gives only need aid (that doesn’t come close to meeting need). I fit into the second category. College would’ve been about $30,000 more overall if I’d went to an Ivy or to Pomona, and I’m gonna use up every penny I had saved for college by the time I graduate. Shit, there’s a kid at NYU who’s living in the library cuz he can’t afford rent.
Ok, here’s the long awaited Bush Report Card.
International Issues: C-
Bush’s diplomacy has been damn awful. We’ve squandered the good will that we had after Sept. 11th. We’ve been forced to go into Iraq with only a small coalition because of the tactless diplomacy. Any future US military actions will be more difficult because of the way diplomacy has been conducted since 2000. Further, the major non-terrorist concerns of the world, such as North Korea, Israel and the undemocratic Central Asian states, have gone unsolved. The war in Iraq, justified though it may have been, has drawn resources away from counterterrorism. Our oil dependency still exists, though we’ve rightly moved our troops out of Saudi Arabia. Improvements in intl. human rights have been few, and while Kyoto should be rejected, it is irresponsible of Bush not to offer a counterproposal to help protect the environment. It’s not all bad, though. Osama or no Osama, the number of terrorist attacks on the US since 9/11 is zero, which is a stunning victory for Bush. The military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq went ok, though certainly the preparation wasn’t enough in either case. The situations in Congo, Pakistan, India, Libya and Sudan have been greatly improved. Our aid practices have improved so that lending is linked to good governance, and further our health aid on AIDS issues is way up, which should help Africa avert disaster. Bush will not be seen as a great statesman, but his foreign policy has at least not been a total failure. (P.S.: As an example of Bush’s ignorance of the world, I point to the Abu Gharib tortures that came out. Some US GI’s apparantly tortured Iraqi prisoners. Bush’s response? Those GI’s will be courtmartialed and, quote, “I don’t like it one bit.” That’s so not good enough. How about “Their actions are an insult to the US, its values, and the hard work of soldiers in the coalition, and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. To the people of Iraq, I apologize for the actions of these cowards.” That would be a message. It reminds of when Bush pledged to punish the “folks responsible” for 9/11. Folks? You can’t call terrorists folks! Wtf?!)
Domestic Issues: C
I don’t agree with Bush on most domestic issues, but he has been moderate enough not to act on most of his personal beliefs. Look: We don’t now have an abortion ban, no affirmative action, a hollowed out government, prayer in schools, and a neglect for the Constitution. There is some cause for concern, though. Bush’s government is too big. Does he know what federalism is? Why is a ‘fiscal conservative’ increasing the budget for the federal Education dept.? That’s the job of the states! Why is a conservative telling Oregon they can’t allow assisted suicide? That’s the state’s job! Why does a Patriot Act meant to stop terrorists require allowing the Fed to inspect library records? 4th amendement anybody? Why is the War on Drugs continuing in the same non-working form? Why do we still have a 21 drinking age? Why are we continuing to create new ‘federal crimes’ that were previously tried by the states? Why can’t we prosecute terrorists in an open and fair manner with trials? As for domestics issues, it’s a case of “he’s not doing anything terrible, but he’s not making any effective change either.”
Economic Issues: D+
The stupid farm subsidies of the US, EU and Japan are murdering the Doha Round for Intl. trade. We’re running huge budget deficits above and beyond a possibly justified increase in defense spending. A budget deficit is a tax on the young, never forget that. Someone has to pay back the debt, and it sure as hell won’t be the people retiring today. When the govt. creates a prescripion drug benefit for seniors using deficit spending, they’re essentially forcing the young to pay for the drugs of the old. No good. On taxes, Bush tossed the best tax we have (the estate tax) and cut income and corporate taxes. Cutting income and corporate taxes is great, but you also have to cut spending, or it means nothing. If you make $1000 one month and spend it all, and then the next month you make $1000 but put $2000 on your credit card, it doesn’t mean you got a raise. In the same way, unless spending is cut, a tax cut means nothing. The tax code has not been simplified and still makes it too hard for foreign companies to invest in the US. Honestly, the only bright spot for Bush economically is that he’s at least theoretically pro-free trade and has created a number of new tariff-reducing treaties. Still not good enough.
Intangibles: C-
Bush is not a liar, but his administration is not fully honest. Governments should strive to be open to their citizens. The Bush administration is not. I don’t think he’s a schemer. I don’t think he’s an opportunist. I think he has good intentions on immigration policy, such as the Mexico Guest Worker amnesty program. But he’s squandered a great opportunity. The post 9/11 world could’ve allowed the US to be a world leader in advancing the stakes of free people around the world, creating a global framework for removing odious leaders, creating a world where nations trade freely, where people speak freely and where governments act cleanly. We could’ve created a world where terrorism wouldn’t have been allowed to occur. We could’ve avoided the ire of much of the world. Domestically, we could’ve turned the tide of a growing federal government, giving responsibility to the lowest necessary level (the principle of subsidarity) and protecting Constitutional rights for decades on. Bush didn’t do these things.
GPA: 1.67.
The rub is, though, given that Kerry is running, how low will the curve be? It’s not exactly Madison v. Jefferson this year, so even a 1.67 might be enough for Bush to win.
Finally, I should move to Dubai. They’re building the world’s largest mall, the world’s largest building, a gigantic marina shaped like a palm tree, a 100 or so other skyscrapers and an underwater hotel, among others. Crazy: a middle eastern nation that’s only 57% Islam, that gets very little of its income from oil yet is rich anyway, and that wants to move into the future, not revert into the past. Good stuff.
Prime Cuts
“No Ordinary Morning” by Chicane
Enya-ish chillout track from Chicane, circa mid-90’s. Good summer tune,though. Also “From East to West” by Enigma and “Brass Bells in African Chimes” by Simple Minds.“Lumumbai” by Vai Sat
Brazilian rock track courtesy webjay.org. Webjay.org has internet radio stations made up of songs that you can download free on the internet (legally), so if you like a song you here, just click and you can have the mp3 a few seconds later. Sweet! “Tabloid Magazine” by The Living End is off TLE’s new CD, which isn’t bad, but sounds too much like sugary Jimmy Eat World-style rock for my taste.
